A news conference on July 27 in front of the U.S. Capitol featured a broad array of activists and organizations: Christine Ahn, Women Cross DMZ; Joy Gebhard, Divided Family Member; Rick Downes, Coalition of Families of Korean & Cold War POW/MIAs; Lt. General (Retired) Daniel P. Leaf, U.S. Air Force; Joyce Ajlouny, American Friends Service Committee; Hana Marie Kim, 30 Under 30 activist and high school student; and Barbara Lee, U.S. Congress member from California.

Following the press event, an emotional Han ceremony at the Foundry United Methodist Church gave the many participants of Korean ancestry an opportunity to express and manage the complex emotions of sorrow, resentment, grief, sadness and hope that afflict many members of families separated during the Korean War and the following seven decades of a divided Korea.

Later, a rally in front of the White House featured Echo Hyunsook Cho, Women Cross DMZ; Medea Benjamin, Code Pink; internet personality Nick Cho, “Your Korean Dad”; and other speakers. It was followed by a spirited mile-long march past the Korean War Veterans Monument to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where an interfaith vigil was held.

  • themeatbridge
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    -2311 months ago

    One Korea, huh? Kim’s gonna step down?

    • 新星 [he/him/CPC bot]
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      2111 months ago

      Why does Kim have to step down for the war to be formally ended that has been over de facto since 1953?

      • themeatbridge
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        -2311 months ago

        Read the article. They are calling for a united Korea. How does that work? Like you said, hostilities have been over for decades. “Ending the war” means American forces leave the country. Who benefits from that besides Kim (and China)? How does that help Korean families separated by the DMZ?

        • @[email protected]
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          11 months ago

          Just gonna drop this, for the sake of all the new people coming to this instance

          For anyone that wants an anti-imperialist commentary on the background and aftermath of the Korean War, read the book Patriots Traitors and Empires.

          Just one of the nuggets in the book that you’ll learn is that Kim Il-Sung was actually willing to entertain the idea of a unified Korea but with two political systems as long as the American military gtfo. Of course America obstructed that peace deal and many others.

          The Korean people on both sides of the peninsula are more than capable of figuring out what reunification looks like without further Yankee meddling or Western concern trolling.

          • albigu
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            11 months ago

            The Nationality people on both sides of the peninsula are more than capable of figuring out what reunification looks like without further Yankee meddling or Western concern trolling.

            This should be a copypasta for every civil war/internal conflict the USA shoved itself into.

        • 新星 [he/him/CPC bot]
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          1611 months ago

          How does that work?

          Many people in both Koreas would like to see reunification one day. That doesn’t mean there’s any plan to do so yet.

          “Ending the war” means American forces leave the country.

          That would depend on the specific details of the treaty, wouldn’t it?

        • diegeticscream [all]
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          1311 months ago

          Maybe Amerikkkan forces should accept that they lost the Korean War and stop occupying the South.

          • themeatbridge
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            -2811 months ago

            So let Kim take the South then? That’s the plan? Unite Korea under a despotic cult leader who is starving his own people?

            • diegeticscream [all]
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              2011 months ago

              So let Kim take the South then? That’s the plan?

              Korean unification has support in both North and South.

              despotic cult leader who is starving his own people?

              Cap

              The U$ should stop occupying and oppressing Korea

              • Anarcho-BolshevikOP
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                1111 months ago

                No, mate, it’s completely true: Kim Jong‐un is starving millions and millions of innocent people simply because he has nothing better to do with his time. Trust me, all of my entrepreneurial Korean friends can back me up on this.

                • QueerCommie
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                  311 months ago

                  I’m sure the leader that’s so far right his ideology is called “k-trumpism” represents the views of every single Korean. I’m sure the average SK resident supports have poor quality food for poor people, doubled down patriarchy, and reduced wages for workers.

                  • @[email protected]
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                    311 months ago

                    The people of occupied Korea yearn for the 96 hour work week. They actually love it when our stupid fucking troops run over their kids with tanks.

            • @[email protected]
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              1911 months ago

              Hell yeah, I too get my information about my country’s rivals from propaganda outlets and seth rogen movies

              • themeatbridge
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                -1011 months ago

                Sorry, are you suggesting that any of the Kims have not been despots? You know that we have access to more than one source of information, right?

                • diegeticscream [all]
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                  1611 months ago

                  You know that we have access to more than one source of information, right?

                  Dang, you watch CNN and NBC? What a varied media environment.

                • @[email protected]
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                  11 months ago

                  Sorry,

                  No you’re not, you love this shit

                  You know that we have access to more than one source of information, right?

                  Would these be the same sources of information that said covid is over, there’s not a recession, Ukraine doesn’t have a nazi problem, Russia is about to lose the war, China is sending balloons to spy on you, and Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction?

            • @[email protected]
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              -2111 months ago

              i literally don’t understand why people are arguing with you. fuck kim and north korean government. he needs to step down

              • diegeticscream [all]
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                11 months ago

                i literally don’t understand why people are arguing with you. fuck kim and north korean government. he needs to step down

                We’re arguing with him because he’s wrong, and a white supremacist.

                Why do you think you know more about how the DPRK should work than they do?

                • @[email protected]
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                  1311 months ago

                  well you see he watched this seth rogan movie once and browsed /r/politics obssessively for the last decade

                • themeatbridge
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                  -511 months ago

                  Huh, I’ve been called a lot of things, but never a white supremacist. That’s a first for me.

                  • diegeticscream [all]
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                    11 months ago

                    Huh, I’ve been called a lot of things, but never a white supremacist. That’s a first for me.

                    You are not Rudyard Kipling, carrying the white man’s burden to enlighten savages. The colonized people of the world want you to leave them the fuck alone.

                  • @[email protected]
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                    411 months ago

                    Get used to it, as capitalism decays you, a liberal, will be defending more and more racist and fascist policies as the government tries to maintain profit and control.

                • @[email protected]
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                  -911 months ago

                  lmfao because they’re a puppet state for china that threatens nuclear bullshit and violence all the time?

                  no democracy, the people are starving and there’s government issued meth

                  what the fuck are you even talking about you numbskull?

                  why do YOU think you know more about how the DPRK(ironic name) should work than I do? you don’t but you’re supporting a fat fascist fuck so off the bat i know you got shit for brains

                  • diegeticscream [all]
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                    11 months ago

                    no democracy, the people are starving and there’s government issued meth

                    If you can say it’s true without providing proof, I can say it’s not the same.

                    threatens nuclear bullshit and violence all the time?

                    They are under siege and constant threat of aggression. The U$ is the aggressor.

                    why do YOU think you know more about how the DPRK(ironic name) should work than I do? you don’t but you’re supporting a fat fascist fuck so off the bat i know you got shit for brains.

                    Fuck off, cracker

              • themeatbridge
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                -611 months ago

                Big internet, lotta people, many viewpoints. I don’t mind an honest discussion of opposing ideologies. But I don’t think that’s what’s happening here. I suspect there’s a concerted effort to make certain ideologies seem more popular than they actually are.

                • SovereignState
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                  11 months ago

                  Who’s concerting this effort?

                  This line is one of the most offensive from you bourgeois fuckers. So many of us are struggling workers. Where are these CPC checks? Where are these millions of rubles I’m owed?

                  Shut the hell up. We’re human beings.

                • @[email protected]
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                  -811 months ago

                  nah fuck your conspiracy mind. the dprk is shit and kim is a trash leader who needs to be ousted before progress can happen